


Haunted Summer

by SweetSorcery



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: 1800s, 19th Century, Age of Sail, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Aristocracy, Bathing/Washing, Beaches, Blow Jobs, Celtic Mythology & Folklore, Cosiness, Dom/sub Undertones, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, England (Country), Fae & Fairies, Fireplaces, First Kiss, First Time, Flirting, Food, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Frottage, Ghost Stories, Ghosts, Gothic, Hand Jobs, Haunting, Horseback Riding, Kissing, Light Angst, Light Dom/sub, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Male Slash, Mentor/Protégé, Multi, Music, Musical Instruments, Mythology References, Novel, Original Character(s), Party Games, Picnics, Polyamory, Protectiveness, Resolved Sexual Tension, Romance, Seaside, Seduction, Separation Anxiety, Sex and Chocolate, Slash, Soul Bond, Stately Homes, Supernatural Elements, Tenderness, The Royal Navy, Threesome, Threesome - M/M/M, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-07-10 07:02:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15944195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetSorcery/pseuds/SweetSorcery
Summary: The Earl of Edrington invites Horatio, Captain Pellew, and Archie to his manor for an extended leave. What follows is a hauntingly beautiful, and rather Gothic, summer.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This novel is an unapologetic, dreamlike indulgence, and I hope you'll enjoy it as such. :)  
> It contains many things I love and few that are realistic to the restrictions of daily life in the armed services of the era; or, alas, any life in any era. :) I wrote it a very long time ago and got 16 chapters into it, originally. I'll be posting chapters as I edit them (and correct my amateurish mistakes and other horrors), improve them and, this time, I intend to finish it. Encouraging comments gratefully accepted!
> 
> Written under the influence of, and with many thanks to: William Shakespeare, Kate Bush, Mythos (the New Age band), Lord Byron and Percy Shelley (and the movie about them, which lends this story its title), Lavender and Mandarin essential oils.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?  
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:  
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May.  
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:  
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,  
And often is his gold complexion dimmed;  
And every fair from fair sometime declines,  
By chance, or nature's changing course untrimmed;  
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,  
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,  
Nor shall death brag thou wanderest in his shade,  
When in eternal lines to time thou growest;  
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,  
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

~ William Shakespeare ~

~ ~ ~

The _Indefatigable_ is en route to England, having recently been engaged in bloody battle with the French Navy off the continent. Shore leave has been ordered for the crew while the frigate is to undergo much needed repairs at Plymouth harbour.

~ ~ ~

"What do you suppose he wants to see us about, Horatio?" Archie was rather animated as they rounded the last corner on the officer's deck. While Horatio was called to the captain's quarters frequently, he himself had only been summoned there on a few occasions; usually, when the _Indy_ had been sent on a mission, and he had been given instructions for his division. Maybe they would finally be sailing to the West Indies after all? On the other hand, that would cancel their shore leave...

Archie knew he was beginning to worry unreasonably again, but he seemed unable to stop that particular habit.

Horatio cleared his throat, determined not to be infected with his friend's undue excitement. "I have no idea, Archie. But I think we ought to wait and find out before we get too frantic, don't you?"

"Easy for you to say. He calls you to his quarters all the time," Archie muttered, but grinned facetiously when Horatio gave him a questioning glare. "Never mind. You're quite right, Horatio."

Horatio decided to ignore the insinuation for, unfortunately, that was all it was. "Well, here we are."

They stopped and straightened out their uniforms before Horatio knocked on the captain's door, waiting for the familiar, "Come!"

~ ~ ~

"The three of us, sir?" Archie asked, his voice at a slightly higher pitch than usual.

"Yes, Mister Kennedy, the three of us." Captain Pellew handed the letter across the table, and Horatio quickly grasped it before Archie could get hold of it.

It was written on the finest parchment paper in an elegant script. Addressed to Captain Sir Edward Pellew of the _Indefatigable_ , and his officers Horatio Hornblower Esquire and Archie Kennedy Esquire, it was an invitation - one which was extended to all three of them to spend their upcoming shore leave at Edrington Manor near Plymouth.

"Sir?" Horatio was duly surprised, and rather pleased as well. He thought about the young aristocrat often and deeply regretted that he had only been with them so briefly. To make matters worse, during the short time they had spent in each others' company, they had been involved in battle during that ill-fated Muzillac mission. He shuddered.

"Are you well, Mister Hornblower?" the Captain asked, frowning.

"Yes, sir. Just a little chill." Horatio straightened himself up. "Will we be accepting the invitation, sir?" he asked, endeavouring not to sound too eager. It was bad enough Archie was fidgeting next to him like an over-excited child.

"That is why I called you, gentlemen. I would neither accept nor reject it without discussing it with you both, as you have undoubtedly made plans for your shore leave already. Mister Hornblower, I believe you have family near Plymouth?"

Horatio nodded. "An aunt, sir, whom I should like to visit, if time permits." Ducking his head shyly, he added, "And I feel certain she would be honoured to meet you, Captain."

"Hmm..." Captain Pellew looked a little nervous for a moment but quickly regained his bearings. "How about you, Mister Kennedy?"

Even from the corner of his eyes, Horatio could tell that Archie was smiling. "Certainly, Captain Pellew. I would love to see the major again."

Pellew nodded. "In that case, I shall respond to the letter in all of our names, accepting the invitation. We should make anchor at Plymouth within two days." He held out his hand, and Horatio returned the invitation. "Thank you, gentlemen. That will be all."

"Sir." Horatio nodded and left, waiting for Archie outside the door.

"What do you think of that, Horatio?" Archie asked. "I have never stayed at a country manor before."

"Neither have I," Horatio admitted. Although the manor was not the part of his shore leave he would be looking forward to the most.

Meanwhile, back inside, Captain Pellew groaned and rested his head in his hands. "Oh, blast the earl to hell and back!" he muttered, once the door had shut behind his officers. Being near Hornblower onboard ship was sweet torture enough at the best of times. How was he to cope without the restrictions imposed upon them here?


	2. The Perfect Host

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... in which the Earl of Edrington knows too much, but puts it all to excellent use.

What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculties!  
in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel!

~ William Shakespeare ~  


~ ~ ~

"I have nothing to wear," Archie moaned, sending Horatio into a laughing fit.

Archie was packing his sea chest, and the _Indy_ was due to anchor at Plymouth within a few hours. Horatio had finished packing long ago. All he had was his uniform and a few extra shirts. Just like Archie, or so he had thought. Only Archie looked into his nearly empty chest and sighed.

"Oh, Archie." Horatio smiled. "You sound like Cinderella invited to a ball at the prince's court. I doubt that Major Edrington will mind you wearing your uniform."

"But I shall!" Archie remained stubborn. "Will you be content to spend your entire shore leave in uniform, Horatio?" Archie waited for the inevitable nod. Of course, Horatio would not complain about such a thing - an exemplary officer of the Royal Navy through and through. "You still have your old uniform and a few fresh shirts. All I have is this." He tugged at his slightly rumpled shirt, sulking.

Horatio grinned. "You can borrow some of my clothes, and we can both be comfortable, until we arrange for something better. How about that?"

Archie smiled at him gratefully.

~ ~ ~

Captain Pellew stood on the pier at Plymouth, waiting for his officers to disembark the jollyboat.

"Have a nice time, Mister Hornblower, won't you?" Matthews called out, once Horatio had come to stand by his captain's side, adjusting his hat. Styles and Oldroyd smiled.

"Thank you, Matthews. I wish you the same, men." His division would be on leave as well, and quite possibly they would all be remaining at Plymouth.

"Aye, sir." The three men heaved first Archie, then the three sea chests, onto the pier.

Within minutes, the boat crew saluted the captain and the officers and set back out to the Indy.

Captain Pellew, about to check his pocket watch to see how much time they had, turned when he heard a carriage approaching. "Well, gentlemen, I do believe there is our transport." He did his best to keep the edginess out of his voice.

"Look at that, Horatio!" Archie called out excitedly.

The carriage was indeed magnificent - black with gold trimmings all around, a set of gold-edged lamps on either side, and another next to the driver, who himself was dressed like a nobleman in his long black cloak and shiny boots.

"Not bad for a pumpkin, is it, Archie?" Horatio laughed, but was silenced by the captain's stern look.

"Captain Pellew's party?" The driver called out quite unnecessarily, for there was no one else about, let alone another group of three naval officers.

"Indeed," the captain confirmed. 

The tall figure descended from his perch, opened the door for them, and began to heave their chests onto the carriage. The three officers climbed in and made themselves comfortable on the dark velvet seats.

The ride to Edrington Manor took no more than twenty minutes, during which time Horatio and Archie peered out the window on the ocean side, busily increasing the captain's discomfort by their very enthusiasm.

"It feels as though we're ascending to the heavens themselves," Archie commented, while the carriage drove up the steep cliff path, rising higher and higher.

When Pellew sighed audibly, Horatio smiled coyly, looking apologetic. "Sorry, sir, about us going on like this, but do you not agree that the view is truly breathtaking?"

Pellew looked at him then. He watched his lieutenant skirt closer to the window again, watched the large dark eyes alight with excitement, and the afternoon sun highlighting the curls brushing a high cheekbone. "It certainly is, Mister Hornblower," Pellew said, his voice huskier than he would have liked. Truly breathtaking indeed... This was going to be an interminably long shore leave.

Archie observed the lingering look, without either of the other two men being aware of it, and smiled to himself. When the manor came into view, moments later, he gasped, "There it is! What a beautiful house."

Horatio agreed wholeheartedly and, despite himself, so did Pellew.

The house sat close to the edge of the cliff, with only a large, lush garden in-between. The palatial white building was illuminated by the sun, bringing to mind a frosted wedding cake. The view from any of the dozens of windows would be either of the sea – a deep turquoise in this light, the rolling green hills stretching out inland, or Plymouth in the distance.

Within minutes of driving through the wrought iron gate framed by two tall statues of angels - their hair flowing and frozen in time and their arms holding a lute and a sword, respectively - the coach stopped in front of the wide stairs to the main entrance.

A butler descended hurriedly to greet the visitors, instructing the driver to bring their luggage inside and leave it with the servant waiting in the hall. Chisholm, he said, would know in which rooms to deposit the chests.

"Welcome to Edrington Manor, gentlemen," the butler greeted formally but warmly, bowing to the guests. "My name is Dervisham, and I am to take you to see His Lordship."

Captain Pellew nodded. "Thank you."

Archie and Horatio followed the butler - who bore a passing resemblance to Mister Bowles - and the captain up the stairs and, after passing through the entrance area, into a grand hall which could easily serve as a ballroom.

"You may yet get your ball, Archie," Horatio joked, earning a chuckle from Archie and a raised brow from the captain. He really would have to contain his giddy excitement. It was most unbecoming for a lieutenant of His Majesty's Navy.

"The Earl of Edrington awaits you in the Garden Parlour, gentlemen. If you will follow me." Dervisham shuffled through the hall and into a lavish, but impersonal, room on the inland side of the house, waiting by the door to another room for the visitors. "One moment, please." He went next door to announce them.

The distinctive voice of the earl could be heard moments later. "Show my guests in, Dervisham, if you will."

"Sirs..." The butler waited until the three men had entered the Garden Parlour before retreating discreetly.

"Captain Pellew." Major Edrington rose from a settee, pushing aside some paperwork he had been reading. "And your young officers, too. Welcome to my humble home, gentlemen." He smiled, motioning for them to take seats.

Horatio and Archie noted just how different he looked out of uniform, wearing instead cream coloured trousers, a loose-sleeved shirt, and a burgundy waistcoat. Having foregone a tailcoat entirely, he nevertheless looked elegant. And exceedingly handsome.

"My Lord, we would like to thank you for your most generous invitation." Captain Pellew smiled, seating himself on a sofa by the door to the fragrant garden - how different from the aroma of the sea - lavender, roses and lilac filled the summer air.

"Aye, my Lord," Hornblower agreed. "It was very kind of you to invite us."

"Yes, thank you so much for having us." Archie gave his thanks also, looking around to choose a seat.

"You are most welcome, sirs. Mister Kennedy," the earl patted the seat next to him, and Archie perched on it awkwardly.

Horatio had already joined the captain on the sofa. "You have a lovely home, my Lord," he complimented, awe evident in his voice.

"It suffices." The earl said, almost dismissively, but he looked very pleased. "Tell me, gentlemen, how long can you stay? I am on leave myself for the next three weeks, and I was hoping we could spend as much time as possible together."

"I fear shore leave in the Royal Navy is a rather vague affair, my Lord. However, we will at the very least have two weeks at our disposal." Captain Pellew leaned forward and took the cup of tea offered to him. "That is the shortest possible estimate for repairs on the _Indefatigable_."

"Splendid. Then we must make the most of the time. I would like to return the courtesy you, Captain, have extended to me and my men on your ship. So I have taken the liberty to arrange for a few... diversions, while you are here." The earl smiled enigmatically while distributing cups of tea to Horatio and Archie.

"Thank you, my Lord." Horatio took a sip of the fragrant brew - jasmine, he thought - and leaned back a little more easily. Diversions... they could all do with them after Muzillac, followed by two continuous months at sea since and a number of fierce battles, thanks to a newly enraged Republican government in France.

"You are most welcome, Mister Hornblower." The Earl's eyes met Horatio's over the edge of his cup, and the young officer could have sworn they were sparkling with mischief. Stunned, he set down his tea.

The four men made pleasant conversation, caught up on current politics and exchanged pleasantries, until their cups were emptied.

"I am sure you would like to get settled into your rooms. I had your luggage sent on ahead. May I show you upstairs myself?" The earl rose, waiting for the others to follow his example. He was clearly excited about something.

Archie was surprised that he did not order his servants to show them the way but, then again, the earl tended to surprise him more often than not.

They went up a wide staircase, and the Earl of Edrington ushered them through the third door on the left side of a long corridor. "Captain Pellew, this is your room."

Briefly making eye contact with each of them, he added with a smirk, "Oh, and of course, I have taken care to ensure your rooms are all on the south-side of my home. I would not wish to deprive you of the view to which you are accustomed." He smiled, pulling back a heavy blue curtain to open the door to a balcony with a view of the ocean.

The officers laughed, but had to admit they did appreciate the sentiment.

"Oh, Captain?" The earl waited for Pellew to join him on the balcony. "I think you will rest easier being able to keep an eye on her." He smiled at Pellew's dumbfounded expression.

"My Lord... the _Indefatigable_?"

"You tell me. She is your ship." The well-disguised smile was evident in the earl's voice. Indeed, the _Indy_ could be seen in the harbour from Pellew's balcony, serenely anchored and safe.

"Astonishing, sir." Pellew instantly felt more at ease about not being aboard ship. He really did despise being on land, even for the purposes of shore leave. However, with his ship so near and within sight, perhaps he might permit himself some measure of relaxation?

While Horatio and Archie had hesitantly moved across the room to peer out at the ship, Pellew turned his attention back to the kingly chamber. "A magnificent room." His sense of interior design was very pleased indeed - the soft furnishings complemented the mahogany finish of the wood furniture. The vast bed at the far wall positively brimmed with cushions of brocade and silk, all of them kept entirely in cream and deep blue. It was a masculine but very comfortable room.

"Good God!" the captain exclaimed, when he spotted the piano nearly hidden behind a striped silk screen.

With a smile about his lips, the earl noted the pleasure on the captain's face. "It has come to my attention that you are rather fond of music, Captain Pellew. And you do play, do you not?"

"I do, my Lord." Pellew coughed. He had not expected this. "I had certainly not presumed to be able to do so while staying here. Thank you."

"Ah." The earl moved his hand as though he was chasing away flies. "It is nothing, I assure you. Play it at your leisure, sir."

Pellew had the distinct impression that the piano did not normally reside in a guest room, but his pleasure at his discovery outweighed his confusion. The nobility was famously eccentric, after all, and he suspected the Earl of Edrington to be one the most eccentric noblemen in England.

He was about to be proven correct when the earl opened the door right opposite the bed. "And this..." he made a grand, sweeping gesture with his arm, "is your room, Mister Hornblower. If you'll follow me."

Horatio's jaw dropped. A connecting door? To the captain's room? He glanced at Captain Pellew, whose expression was similarly stunned, and swallowed back a surprised gasp. "Uh... yes, my Lord."

"You must tell me if there is anything at all amiss with your accommodations," the earl requested, with a sparkle in his eyes. "That goes for all of you, gentlemen. I wish only to please you."

And pleased Horatio was. His room was a veritable library under the guise of a generous bedroom. He barely noticed the four-poster draped with a blue and gold star-spangled canopy and the matching silk linen and pillows. He was busily studying the spines of the books filling a large wall shelf, and noticed yet more stacked in a tall heap beside a cushioned window seat. "My Lord, all these books..." The pleasure was evident in his voice.

"You are fond of the classics, are you not?" the earl enquired, picking up a leather-bound volume off the nightstand. "I trust you appreciate poetry also?"

"I do. Very much so." Horatio joined him by the bed.

"Then you will enjoy this." The earl held the book out, waiting for Horatio to take it from him. It was a collection of early English poetry - Shakespeare, Drayton, Blake, Daniel... And, judging by the binding, it was a special edition.

Horatio gasped. He had never seen such a collection outside a library, and this was merely his guest room at the earl's house. "I don't know how to thank you for giving me access to all this."

The earl removed his hand from the book in Horatio's grasp, letting his fingers glide lightly over his surprised guest's hand. "I trust that, if we put our heads together, my dear Mister Hornblower, we will think of a way," he whispered, smiling at Horatio's gasp. He did not fail to notice the slight trembling in those slim fingers as he caressed them.

Walking away abruptly enough to make Horatio sway, the earl addressed Archie. "Now, Mister Kennedy - through here, if you please."

No longer surprised at anything, Horatio watched as Archie was led into the next room, again through a connecting door. He was not present, however, when Edrington explained to Archie that they were in his own room now, and that Archie's was through yet another door.

"This is lovely!" Kennedy exclaimed. His room was luxury the likes of which he had never seen. It looked fit for an Arab sheik. Silks and brushed cotton in the most tasteful shades of blue, green and copper draped over everything. The bed was low on the ground and spanned with a thin muslin canopy, swaying lightly in the breeze from the open door to the balcony.

Archie gasped at the sheer beauty of his room before he had even noticed the small selection of books on the theatre and the framed playbills of famous London shows. And finally, he noticed the silver cage near the balcony and the tiny canary within. Looking at the Earl in pleased surprise, he walked towards it.

"I don't know what to say, my Lord."

"You need not say anything, Mister Kennedy. The pleasure lighting up your face is all the thanks I need." The earl smiled and stepped towards him.

"Why?" Archie asked, incapable of understanding such kindness, when most people he had ever known had only brought pain upon him. Suspicions began to take shape in his mind, but were instantly dispersed by the nobleman's next words.

"Do you remember what I asked you to do after Muzillac?"

"You mean, to look after Horatio?" Archie remembered that miserable day only too well.

"Yes. And having him... having all of you here now, I see that you did so marvellously. And I thank you, Mister Kennedy." Entirely unexpectedly, the earl raised Archie's chin with his index finger, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and strutted out of the room and back into his own.

Archie stood, dumbfounded. He touched his cheek gently, and then he followed their host back to the next room, where he paused. This room was exactly like its owner - elegant, neat and full of surprises. He smiled at the personal touches like a heart shaped box on the nightstand, the whimsical green and gold floral curtains, and the music box on the dresser.

"May I look at this, my Lord?" Archie asked hesitantly when he spotted the small box.

"Certainly, Mister Kennedy."

Archie picked up the delicate carousel depicting a round of white horses circling a maypole. 

The earl came to stand next to him and turned a little key on the side of the box, and a melody began to play, much like the cheerful marching tune of his regiment. 

Archie laughed. "How perfectly lovely."

"Yes, isn't it?" The Earl of Edrington's face lit up with a warm smile. "Now if you'll follow me back, I would like to show you gentlemen the bath across the hall."

That was where the four men were a few minutes later. The biblical kings themselves would have been envious. The very large brass tub was surrounded by a midnight blue curtain, allowing it to be shielded from the rest of the room. Thick, soft towels in white, blue and gold were hanging and folded up everywhere, and the entire room was filled with an exotic blend of scents - undoubtedly a selection of the many oils and potions lining the recessed bench under the window. There were urns of flowers, and a fireplace as well - a short distance from the tub; it was stacked full of logs, with a wicker basket holding more logs beside it.

"Well then, gentlemen. I shall leave you to settle in. Dinner will be at eight, so if you would join me downstairs then..." The earl smiled and left his guests, who assured him they would be on time.

"I do believe we are in heaven," Archie sighed, still staring in disbelief at the luxurious bathroom. He was going to enjoy this shore leave like none before.

Horatio's eyes met the captain's behind Archie's back, and they exchanged an amused look. Then, the captain grew serious, his eyes holding Horatio's a little too long for propriety. He turned away quickly, leaving a flustered Horatio to ponder luxury, relaxation... and connecting doors.

~ ~ ~

Dinner consisted of a wild rice soup, pheasant, roast vegetables, mint parfaits and a rather fine Burgundy. The visitors to Edrington's estate were beginning to settle in very comfortably, unable to withstand the onslaught of luxury and attention from their host.

Horatio suddenly remembered his earlier conversation with Archie onboard ship. "My Lord," he began, "I fear that Mister Kennedy and I do not travel with any clothing aside from our uniforms. I had been hoping to find something in Plymouth, but alas, there was no opportunity, and I honestly forgot all about it. Would it perhaps be possible tomorrow to borrow your carriage?"

The earl smiled. "Certainly, Mister Hornblower, if you wish it, though to be perfectly honest, I had anticipated something like that. You will find a selection of garments in your guest rooms. I hope they will fit appropriately and be to your tastes..."

Captain Pellew, certain the clothing would fit as perfectly as their respective rooms, was dumbfounded now. "Sir... Ahem. My Lord... do forgive me, but how is it that you know so much about all of us?"

Laughing softly, the earl dabbed at his lips with his napkin. "There really is no mystery, Captain. I merely requested some information of a personal nature from your Mister Bracegirdle when I was aboard your ship." Enjoying the astounded looks from his guests, he continued. "He was initially reluctant, but became quite helpful, once I explained that I was planning to invite you all to my estate at a later point and wanted you to feel as much at home as possible."

"Good Lord," Pellew muttered, deciding he needed to have a word with Bracegirdle, once they returned to the _Indy_. This would not do. Not at all. Meanwhile, of course... there was no point in fretting. One might as well enjoy the earl's attention to detail.

Archie grinned broadly, sending a silent 'thank you' Bracey's way. "My Lord, what are these distractions you have planned?"

Horatio looked up, watching the earl's expression. It was rather mischievous, he thought.

"Well, to begin with, I thought we might take ourselves off for a picnic tomorrow. There is a lovely spot not far from here by a quiet stream. You may know of the legend attached to it, Mister Hornblower, having come here often as a child?"

Horatio attempted to remember. "I have only heard of one such place, my Lord - Fairy Cove. My aunt used to talk about it, when I was a child."

"You are correct, sir. That is the place." Reaching for a grape on the large fruit platter, he said. "By the by, there is a lovely stretch of private beach below the cliff right here; if any of you should ever care for a swim on a hot summer's day." Major Edrington smiled at Horatio and asked Archie and the captain in turn, "Do you swim, Sir Edward? Mister Kennedy? Or is that a foolish thing to ask a sailor?"

Captain Pellew set down his wine glass, smiling. "Not at all. Many of the men under my command cannot swim." He had no intention of elaborating, so his jaw dropped when Horatio began to relate the tale of a young sailor who had been pushed overboard by a shipmate, merely for a laugh and under the assumption that he had been about to dive into the sea anyway. It had turned out that assumption was quite untrue and, as the culprit himself could not swim either, Pellew had wound up diving into the ocean himself in full captain's regalia to rescue the man.

When Horatio's rather awed monologue stopped, Pellew looked at him, aghast. Was this more of Bracegirdle's work? He really needed to have a stern talk with the man. He narrowed his eyes at Hornblower, who immediately looked quite sheepish.

The Earl laughed heartily. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised, Captain, to hear what a fine example of heroism you are." He glanced at Horatio and Archie."Having been fortunate enough to be in battle with your officers here, I must admit I have yet to meet braver men." Ignoring the blushed cheeks, he raised his glass to his visitors. "A toast. To His Majesty, his navy and his army - may the winds of fortune be with us all, gentlemen, and may they blow us all ashore at the same time again, so that we may spend leave together like this in the not too distant future."

"Hear, hear," Pellew said quietly.

They clinked glasses and drank in silence, pondering the toast and the uncertainty of the times, while the servants began to clear the table.


	3. Simion and Melory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... in which myths are told, secrets shared, delicacies consumed, and Horatio and Edward undress each other with their eyes over chicken legs and champagne.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a little longer, as it was rather woolly originally, not to mention only half as long. I expect future chapters to be posted more quickly. :)

"Lovers and madmen have such seething brains, such shaping fantasies,  
that apprehend more than cool reason ever comprehends."

~ William Shakespeare ~

~ ~ ~

When the sun rose the following morning, it heralded a hot day and a blue sky. After a leisurely breakfast, during which the earl's visitors assured him they had all slept marvellously, they set off for Fairy Cove.

The carriage remained near the road, but they spread out their blankets on the sloping grassland above the beach, from were they had a most astounding view not only of Paignton and the sea, but of the golden sand below.

The earl's servants had managed to squeeze a feast fit for a banquet into two large picnic baskets. There was a staggering array of delicacies, ranging from roast chicken legs to pigeon pie, goose pâté to salmon, salmagundi to asparagus spears, crusty bread rolls to water crackers, an assortments of pickles and cheeses, and much more; and finally, the pièce de resistance - fresh strawberries and champagne.

Horatio laughed when the earl continued to present one dish after another, like a stage magician pulling a colony of rabbits from a hat. When asked what amused him so, he said as much.

The earl chuckled warmly. "Do you know, Mr Hornblower, that a group of wild rabbits is also known as a fluffle?"

Horatio smiled and nodded, but Archie laughed out loud. "Never, my Lord! I refuse to believe it."

"The earl is quite right, Mister Kennedy." Captain Pellew's voice was perfectly serious, but the corners of his mouth quirked up, and his eyes were dancing with amusement.

Horatio's gaze was fixed on him, while Archie and the earl continued to jokingly debate rabbits. It was so good to see his captain beginning to relax, even if every new moment in his presence, without ship's discipline and hordes of other men all around, made him more aware than ever of the man's presence.

When the warm eyes turned on him – his staring had probably gone on far too long, again – Horatio held his breath, yet he could not look away. Yes, he was much too aware. There were but two feet between them on the picnic blanket, yet he could feel the captain's warmth more deeply than the heat of the sun. Even the gentle sea breeze playing through his captain's hair and caressing his skin where his loose shirt was wide open at the neck seemed to double each sensation Horatio felt himself. He shivered pleasurably, his lips parting as his respiration increased.

His eyes dropped to the bronzed skin at the captain's collarbones, moved down his body to take in the loosened, fluttering sleeves, the casual breeches, the strong legs – one drawn close to his body, one stretched out – and finally, in embarrassment, dropped away and to the blanket.

Captain Pellew swallowed hard. What was Hornblower thinking, looking at him as if he wanted nothing more than to be tumbled over onto the blasted picnic blanket, food and wine and company be damned, and taken right there until he could not rise and walk unaided? By God, and he would oblige him too, if only he could make himself believe for an instant that he was not dreaming. The place was quite enchanted enough that he could not be sure.

As it was, he had quite lost track of the conversation, until Hornblower's gaze was fully averted again, and the earl's voice slowly drifted into his consciousness.

"No picnic is complete without strawberries and champagne. I do hope that one of you gentlemen wishes to volunteer to open the bottle?"

For the sake of regaining his sanity, Captain Pellew did so with a smile and proceeded to pop the champagne, while Archie watched the earl lean back and out of the cork's path.

"My Lord, are you perhaps afraid to do it yourself?" he dared, grinning when the earl's jaw dropped for an instant.

"Certainly not, Mister Kennedy. What a thing to say! I am simply all thumbs." He held up his graceful, delicate fingers and wriggled them in the air as if to prove it, but merely succeeded in sending both Horatio and Archie into laughing fits. "Captain Pellew, what do you make of your officers' behaviour?" He sighed with exasperation.

Neither willing nor able to concede to the earl's supposed clumsiness, Captain Pellew said most diplomatically, "I think they are merely reluctant to believe that a gentleman as refined as yourself could possibly be less than graceful in any endeavour, my Lord."

"Hmm." The earl frowned at his smiling guests, but found himself joining in. "Well, I shan't argue then. Sir Edward, would you care to fill our glasses?"

"Certainly." Pellew took the earl's glass from an outstretched hand and filled it, following with Archie's and Horatio's. "A toast, my Lord?"

The earl pondered, then smiled. "To lazy days, sweet nights, good food, charming company, and to all the King's men."

They clinked glasses.

Horatio laughed. "Excellent toast, my Lord." He raised his glass and took a sip, meeting his captain's eyes briefly over the rim. This time, he dared not linger.

Archie eyed the champagne suspiciously.

"Mister Kennedy, is anything amiss?" the earl enquired.

"Oh no, my Lord. Only I fear that... well, I inebriate rather easily." He grinned to hide his embarrassment, and the Earl of Edrington found that he liked the way this turned the pallor of Archie's face into a soft peachy blush.

"I should very much like to see that, sir," he teased, causing Archie to flush even further. Oh yes, very pretty indeed.

Eventually, Archie did take a careful sip and followed it quickly with the earl's offering of a strawberry.

A pleasant silence descended upon the four men, who could scarcely imagine themselves in a situation more different from their military lives. All was so wonderfully quiet and serene. Soundless, safe for the gulls, the breeze through the grass and nearby trees, and the gentle caress of the waves against the cliffs; as well as their bubbling advances and retreats over the many shallow tide pools below, draped with unusually luminous tendrils of seaweed.

Almost loathe to speak, lest he disrupt the sweet scene, the earl said softly, "What do you know of the legend of Fairy Cove, Mister Hornblower?"

Horatio smiled, swallowing the strawberry he had been suckling on - much to his captain's discomfort. "The tale of Simion and Melory, my Lord?"

"Who are they?" Archie asked, curious.

The earl smiled. "Simion and Melory are fairies, and fairies with some rather astounding magical powers, no less."

Archie laughed softly. "Oh, are they now?"

Horatio began to explain quite sincerely. "The legend, Archie, is that in the Middle Ages, a healer by the name of Simion came to this cove to meet with his lover - a beautiful midwife named Melory. The people from the village were suspicious of them and hunted them down on a moonlit night, to the beach below, accusing them of evil spells and curses. They were about to drag them to the village and burn them at the stake, when Simion asked to be allowed one last kiss from his beloved before they were to die. The village folk agreed reluctantly, and Simion and Melory crossed the beach hand in hand, stepped into one of the tide pools, kissed and... vanished."

Horatio smiled at Archie's odd expression. "The villagers swore it was yet more evil witchcraft and searched the cove and surrounding area for weeks, without finding a trace of them. In the end, they gave up, resigning themselves to the fact that they must have turned themselves into birds, clouds or..."

"Or fairies?" Archie guessed.

"Yes." The earl smiled. "Many swore that they saw them dancing light-footed across the tide pools on moonlit nights. Ever since, it is said that when lovers who love unconditionally and deeply come to this beach when the moon is full or waxing, bathe in a tide pool and kiss, Simion and Melory will appear to them and bless their union, and they will never be unhappy again, be they together or apart."

"How sweet!" Archie exclaimed, laughing.

"Oh, do not mock this legend, Mister Kennedy." The Earl spoke very sincerely. "It is said that there are more happy relationships in this region than anywhere else in the British Isles."

"I wonder though..." Archie frowned. "Why would they do something so nice, when the villagers were going to kill them in cold blood?"

Captain Pellew suggested, "Perhaps to show that their magic was truly good?"

"Excellent deduction, Captain," the earl praised. "White magic indeed."

Horatio watched the captain's face with a smile. He looked amused by the legend, but also touched. To find such a willingness to believe in something so romantic and magical in a man who seemed so firmly of this world was, Horatio knew, yet another endearing trait for which he could not help but love him.

~ ~ ~

Archie continued to ponder the fairies all afternoon. It was a very pretty story, but only that. And certainly _he_ would never find anyone to love him so sincerely and unconditionally as to test its truthfulness. 

But no matter, for it was a great thing to be surrounded by people he cared for so much and who, he hoped, cared for him a little as well. Horatio - his dearest friend in all the world - who had even forgiven him his misplaced envy and distrust, and Captain Pellew - the best and fairest commanding officer any man in His Majesty's forces could want.

And then, there was the Earl of Edrington... How harshly he had judged him at their first meeting. And with every minute spent in the young aristocrat's company, it became more obvious that he was yet infinitely more noble of character than he was of birth. Since the earl had left the ship after Muzillac, Archie had thought about him a great deal, not that he would care to admit it outside the secret realm of his own mind. But when the invitation had come, he had found it hard to pretend that the stay at Edrington Manor had been the cause of his excitement. He felt bad for having deceived Horatio thus. But what else could he have done? Admit that he had missed the calm, confident young Lord? That he could not help but think about him at least a dozen times a day?

For that matter, he was in his thoughts at night as well... Archie often woke from a recurring dream he would never mention to anyone, for it was at once odd, childish, embarrassing and frightfully real in both its intensity and its effect on his body. When he woke from that dream, Archie found himself both drenched in cold sweat and hard with arousal. 

_He always saw himself and the Earl of Edrington walking through a forest, hand in hand, quietly contented in each other's company. Then, a great, wild creature would appear, towering tall above them, its fangs frightfully exposed in a wide-open mouth which smelled so foul, there was no doubt it had consumed another living thing only moments earlier. Its shaggy fur was speckled with blood and, when it approached them, Archie would faint every time. When he regained consciousness, it was always to the vision of the earl drawing a bright, golden sabre from a sheath around his waist and running boldly towards the creature. It would try to swat him with its huge claw, but the earl was quicker and more deft on his feet and, before it could hurt him, he would ram the sabre into its belly, slaying it with a single, deep thrust. Then he would turn to Archie and stretch out his hand, helping him to his feet. He would take him into his arms and kiss him until they were both breathless with the miracle of their survival and their passion._

"Archie!" Horatio repeated, for the third time, beginning to grow concerned about his friend's far-away look.

"Yes, Horatio?" Archie gathered his wits about him as quickly as possible, attempting to avoid the earl's concerned gaze.

Horatio frowned. "Did you hear anything we said just now, Archie?"

Shaking his head and seeking to cover his embarrassment, Archie busied himself by reaching for a cracker, onto which he spread some mustard pickle. "Sorry, Horatio. I was thinking on the fairies." He hoped the explanation would suffice. As an afterthought, he asked, "What did I miss?"

Horatio sighed. "Oh, Archie." He rolled over onto his stomach and leaned on his elbows. "We were talking about visiting my aunt some time during our stay. She lives less than half a day away, and I thought it would be nice if we all went to see her." Waiting to gauge Archie's reaction, he added, "You'll come, won't you?"

"Certainly, Horatio, if you like."

Archie found the earl's deep brown eyes still focused on him, which made him feel more than a little awkward. There were times when he could swear the man was able to read his mind. How shocked he must be. He really rather wished there was somewhere he could hide, having a ghastly if unreasonable fear of his feelings showing on his face.

"Yes, I would, Archie." Horatio bit into a peach heartily. "I wrote her a letter, telling her about all of you," he said lightly, instantly regretting his words when Archie's face scrunched up into a suspicious frown. He would really have to remember that Archie was terribly sensitive about his privacy.

"I do hope you embellished us a little, my dear Mister Hornblower?" the earl asked, instantly lightening the atmosphere with his soft laughter.

"My Lord, no embellishment was necessary. In my aunt's eyes now, you gentlemen are the envy of the three kings in wisdom and the knights of King Arthur's round table in gallantry and courage." He smiled broadly, catching the captain's eyes.

"Only in your aunt's eyes, Mister Hornblower?" Pellew asked with a rare smirk.

Horatio's heart stuttered to a halt, before resuming at a faster pace. "And in my own, sir." He blushed.

"You are a shameless flatterer, Mister Hornblower," the Earl of Edrington joked, passing a small plate of rum truffles around. "Chocolate, anyone?"

Archie helped himself, glad that everyone's attention had been diverted from him now. He spared a thought for later, when he would likely feel quite sick from all the delicious food he'd been consuming to cover up his inattention.

The earl had not missed the looks Horatio and Sir Edward had been exchanging all day. Dear God! How was it possible that their obvious affection for each other - not to mention their desperate concern when either one of them was not nearby - had not yet driven them into each other's arms? Surely, he thought, after Muzillac... Captain Pellew had been as close to tears of pure joy as he had ever seen a man, when his eyes had fallen on his lieutenant, safely back on his ship. And Hornblower spoke of his captain with such awe and adoration, the earl did not doubt for an instant that he had been in hell while they were on that blasted, foolhardy mission in Brittany, knowing that their chances of survival and a safe return to the _Indefatigable_ were slim at best. And yet, they chose to continue dancing around each other like this. No doubt the captain did not want Horatio to feel he was taking advantage of his position, while Horatio was so aware of it that he dared not presume. Something ought to be done about it.

"I have a suggestion," the Earl of Edrington said lightly into the comfortable, lazy silence which had descended on the small group. When he had their attention, he said, "Seeing that we are all on leave, gentlemen, and will be spending much time in one another's company, why do we not dispense with excessive formality and use our Christian names?"

Horatio instantly nodded, deeming it an excellent idea. Archie hesitated for the briefest instant, but was quick to give in. The captain frowned a little. "My Lord, I am not certain..."

"Of course, Sir Edward, forgive me." The earl was quick to apologise, while subtly offering the obvious alternative, having anticipated some reluctance. Pellew no doubt thought it unseemly for a captain and his junior officers to communicate in such an informal manner. Holiday or not.

"I think that perhaps Sir Edward would be acceptable," Pellew agreed hesitantly, concerned that he would not recall his officers' proper appellations once back on the _Indefatigable's_ quarter-deck. It would be terribly inappropriate to be calling them Horatio and Archie.

"Sir Edward it is then." The earl smiled. "My first name is Percy. Well, it is one of them, but certainly the one which feels least like a punishment inflicted upon me by my dear departed parents."

Archie smiled. "I like _Percy_." He instantly blushed when the earl's dark eyes locked on his, sparkling with amusement.

"You do, Archie?" the earl asked, fighting the urge to kiss the young man, who dared look so utterly adorable when he was put on the spot.

Horatio decided to come to Archie's rescue, noting with a pleasant surprise that there was something afoot between the earl and his friend. "What are these other names, Percy? If we are to become more personable with each other, we should share some of our secrets." He smiled facetiously.

"I already know one of your secrets, Horatio," the earl said quietly, causing Horatio to blush when he quickly glanced towards the captain, while the latter was folding up his napkin. "Well, here is mine." The earl gave a long-suffering sigh. "My full name, unfortunately, is Percival Hotspur Beaky Lysander Plantagenet, the Earl of Edrington." He took a deep breath.

"Beaky?" Archie asked, biting his lips together tightly.

Horatio exclaimed at the same moment, "Hotspur!"

Then the pair of them burst out laughing quite uncontrollably.

"Indeed." The earl's face was priceless.

The captain chuckled. "Your parents appear to have been extraordinarily fond of William Shakespeare."

"They were. I am grateful, I admit, that it was not Mister Chaucer they gravitated towards."

Horatio smiled. "You would not care to be named Placebo? Or Cambyuskan?"

Captain Pellew chuckled.

"I would not!"

"Percy it is then," said Horatio lightly. "Although Lysander suits you for certain."

The earl blushed ever so lightly. "Thank you, Horatio. I do believe I could live with Lysander." He did not add, _if it pleases you_ , but he thought he could tell that Horatio heard the unspoken words. They exchanged a warm smile.

"What will your aunt make of this... ahem, unusual informality, Mister uh... Horatio?" the captain asked.

Horatio, feeling warmed by the very sound of his name on the captain's lips, said, "I have not seen my aunt for many years, but I remember her as being a very gay and informal lady, Sir Edward. I do not think she will find it at all unusual for the duration of our holiday here."

Feeling rather awkward, the captain decided that to help himself to the shortcake in the basket closest to him was a far better pursuit than to ponder his meeting with Horatio's aunt. Would she be able to tell what kinds of thoughts her nephew's captain entertained? What a perfectly dreadful prospect!


	4. Of Longing and Leniency

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... in which the earl gives Archie a bath, and reassurance.

"Come, woo me, woo me, for now I am in a holiday humour  
and like enough to consent."  
  
~ William Shakespeare ~

~ ~ ~

"Did you enjoy our outing, Archie?" Percy enquired solicitously, back at the manor.

Horatio and the captain had gone upstairs to freshen up, while the earl and Archie had surprised Dervisham by volunteering to carry the baskets to the kitchen. Once they had done so, and were back in the main entrance hall, they were alone for a moment.

"I did indeed." Archie smiled, warmed by the earl's attentiveness. "Would it be all right if I had a bath before dinner?" he asked almost shyly.

"Certainly. I will ask the maids to prepare everything for you. We won't be eating for some time yet." He rubbed his flat stomach. "And just as well." When Archie agreed with a little groan of commiseration, he smiled and added, "You need not ask my permission to do anything in my house, Archie. Whatever I own is entirely at your disposal."

Archie wanted to say something, but was not sure how to put it. Sometimes he found it hard to find the right words. Especially when he had to struggle so to take attentiveness for what it was, rather than to presume that it had an ulterior purpose – such as his humiliation at a future time. "You are being most kind to us, Percy. I am enjoying my stay here very much, and I feel Horatio and the captain are as well."

The earl's face lit up at the compliment like the midday sun. 

Archie's eyes widened in surprise to see that someone so blessed with everything as the young Earl of Edrington was - beauty, character, wealth, nobility, and skill - could be so enchanted by a simple _thank you_. 

"You are most welcome, Archie. Promise me that, if there is ever anything you want or need, you will not hesitate to ask me for it." 

Archie swallowed down the lump in his throat. 'I want you to kiss me and need you to hold me,' he thought, but quickly discarded such longings, lest he spoke them out loud by mistake. As it was, he struggled with his fear that perhaps his Lordship could see right through him. What was particularly troublesome was that he felt as excited by that all-knowing gaze as he felt disquieted. "Thank you," he said simply. 

The earl reached around his shoulder and directed him towards the stairs, where he veered off to give instructions to the upstairs maid regarding the bath. 

~ ~ ~

Entering the lavish guest bathroom a short while later, Archie was instantly enveloped in a warm mist scented with roses and orange blossoms. Thick towels were laid out on the floor around the large tub, and steam was rising from the water. Water which - as Archie realised to his astonishment - was strewn with white rose petals. 

He inhaled deeply, feeling more warm and cared for than he ever had - aside from that time in the Spanish prison, when Horatio had looked after him, and nursed him back to health, in that tiny room with the glowing fire. He smiled. 

"Is everything to your satisfaction?"

Archie spun around, facing the Earl of Edrington, who had just entered and closed the door behind him. "Uh... yes, my Lord. I mean, Percy. Thank you." Somehow, standing in this heavily scented room with the door closed, standing so close to _him_ , felt almost unbearably intimate. 

"In you go." Percy pointed to the tub, and when Archie merely stood frozen in place, gaping at him, he smiled. "Let me help you." Not waiting for permission, but moving slowly enough to allow Archie ample opportunity to withhold it, he stepped forward and raised his hands to the front of Archie's shirt to undo the tiny buttons. 

Archie stared at him, too surprised to fight the audacious familiarity. He looked down at perfectly manicured fingers as they nimbly undressed him, not stopping with his shirt but boldly continuing on to the front clasp of his trousers. He ought to do something, ought to step back and demand an explanation. Instead, he just continued to stand there silently. 

"You mustn't fear me, Archie." The earl's voice was infinitely soft, as he pushed Archie's shirt back over the broad shoulders and let it fall to the floor. "I merely want you to relax and indulge in the comforts I can offer you." 

Opening his mouth to speak, Archie found he had no words. Indeed, he much preferred to continue listening to his Lordship's gentle, silky voice, which soothed him as much as the undemanding, fluttering touches. And what a surprise it was to find himself soothed by the intimacy, rather than threatened.

"Do you mind my undressing you?" 

"Mind?" Archie said, his thoughts a comfortable mess. Of course, he did not mind. He shook his head minutely.

"Good." The earl went down on one knee before him and drew the trousers down, raising one muscular leg at a time to help Archie out of them. His gaze remained on Archie's face throughout.

Closing his eyes in mild embarrassment, Archie felt his clothing being stripped away, along with his worries and fears, as he leaned forward to support himself with his hands on Percy's shoulders. He was naked now; he knew so not consciously, but from the droplets of scented mist rolling down his bare skin unobstructed. 

"There. All ready now." Percy stood, smiling at the expression on Archie's face. He waited for the azure eyes to open. Then he reached out a hand to clasp Archie's and led him to the tub. 

Archie climbed in and slowly relaxed into the fragrant watery garden, sighing deeply when his limbs grew pleasantly heavy in an instant. 

Percy was pleased. Somehow, even with the almost ever-present frown and hunted demeanour Archie had displayed thus far, he had known that he would look like this once he felt himself safe: soft and languorous, with his warm copper hair, the perpetually frightened eyes half closed and yet still trapping every ray of light in their azure depths, with his peachy skin flushed... so very tempting.

'No,' the earl chided himself silently. 'Not now. Not yet.' He moved behind the tub and leaned down, his fingers against Archie's neck, coaxing him forward until he could reach the black ribbon in his hair.

Like a gentle-tempered child, Archie sat up and allowed the Earl to remove the band and fan his hair out over his bare shoulders. He leaned back against those soothing hands, oblivious of the surprised gasp his trusting gesture caused. 

Percy knelt behind the tub and began to knead the soft flesh beneath the cascade of hair. Once he felt the muscles grow noticeably more loose, he reached for a thick towel and placed it over the rim of the tub, easing Archie back until his head rested on the cushion. Then he picked up a thick sponge and dipped it into the steaming water by Archie's shoulder. "May I wash you?" he asked softly. 

Archie nodded, a contented smile playing around his lips. 

Moving around the side of the tub, Percy picked up Archie's left arm and ran the sponge down the outside and back up the soft skin on the inside, letting it travel over his shoulder and to the other side. Then, lingering a little longer than necessary, he washed Archie's neck and chest, before he ran the sponge down over the soft ripples of his belly, down over his hips and the outsides of his legs and to his feet, gently moving around toes curling up in pleasure. Percy smiled.

"Please..." Archie pleaded softly, not entirely sure what he was asking for, even while his body had very definite ideas. He parted his legs in a plea for a more intimate touch, and found the sponge being run up the inside of his legs, to linger on his thigh until it trembled, and then to be moved lightly over his groin and around his manhood which - to Archie's surprise more than embarrassment - was rising to be touched. But the only touch was from the soft porous material run over his terribly sensitive skin until he very nearly begged. 

Percy fought down his desire, even as it rose like a tidal wave with each and every uneven, desperate breath from Archie's parted lips. He sought to still his ardour with thoughts of the military, of battles fought, of missions lost - like Muzillac, where he had first found himself wondering if he would ever see Archie this needy, this urgent for his touch... 

By God, had he wanted him like this even then? As much as he had wanted Horatio? His heart's desires... his loves. So different to the eyes and yet - before his soul stripped bare with love and tenderness - almost one and the same. 

No wonder then that he loved them so much, needed them both and needed both of them to love him. He heard himself gasp quietly, not enough to disturb Archie's rapture as his hand moved the sponge around and against the solid arousal, in between the spread legs and to the gentle swell of the two orbs there, allowing his touch so easily. He heard Archie's groan reverberate through his ears, forcing him to press himself against the warm solidity of the tub for some relief.

Percy fought valiantly, and won. He lifted his trembling hand from the hot water, leaving the sponge to float among the petals. 

Archie's eyes - thus far closed in bliss - flew open. He begged silently for more, searching for and eventually holding Percy's dark eyes - now nearly black with passion. Why did he resist what they both knew they wanted? Why did he fight so hard? 

And Percy, aware of Archie's thoughts laid bare in the pleading blue gaze, asked himself much the same question. He did not know the answer, yet he knew there was one. There had to be. Something about Archie... something forced him to keep in firm control, to not take him until he knew with inescapable certainty that Archie wished for nothing in the world more than to be his, and not merely because he was feeling gentled and relaxed by warm water and sensual scents.

Forcing down his own need, the earl smiled softly and reached for Archie's shoulders, ignoring the gasp of anticipation. Anticipation of a kiss, perhaps? No, not even that. Not yet.

Percy picked up the discarded sponge and, bending Archie's head back slightly, squeezed it out over his head, letting the water cascade through the soft, light hair. 

Archie closed his eyes and attempted to catch his breath. The earl's tender fingers around the back of his neck while he moistened his hair were now as exciting to him as the earlier, far more intimate touch with the sponge. His skin was so attuned to even the lightest touch from Percy's hands that he moaned softly, even as he felt the fingers work a soft lather of soap into his long tresses.

He looked up to find Percy leaning over him, washing his hair with one hand while the other supported his nape. He was so close to him now - his shirt, damp from bathwater and the wet mist which hung in the room, clung to his torso. Archie felt the heat of his aroused body and smelled his clean, masculine scent. Looking up with heavy lids, he smiled up at Percy and found the smile returned with infinite sweetness.

They calmed slowly, soothing each other through the tender touches Percy bestowed on Archie's scalp, massaging the warm skin lightly and coating the soft strands of hair with precious rose-oil soap. Finally, he stood to retrieve a pitcher from a shelf and, kneeling beside the tub again, began to rinse Archie's hair clean until it shone in the setting sun from the small window and smelled lightly of roses.

Percy stood and helped Archie out of the tub, concentrating firmly on his eyes as he towelled him dry. Then, he wrapped him in a soft robe from a hook on the door and said huskily, "All done," before turning to leave. 

A pleading little sound from Archie stopped him and, when he turned back, he found the bright eyes had followed him longingly. With a sigh, he went back and quickly enfolded the warm, scented figure in his arms, before placing a soft kiss on the smooth forehead, and another on a cheek.

Before Archie could reach for him for more, the Earl of Edrington was gone. 


	5. Parlour Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... in which it's all fun and games, the earl is a cock tease, and so is Horatio.

Your charm so strongly works ‘em,  
That if you now beheld them,  
Your affections would become tender.  
  
~ William Shakespeare ~

~ ~ ~

Dinner was all companionable conversation, laughter and a few stolen glances over the lavishly laid out table.

Archie had glowed all evening as though a tiny sun had been lit inside him, shining outwards to warm his features and, indeed, the room he found himself in. 

Horatio and Sir Edward were filled with a sense of leisurely relaxation the likes of which they had not allowed themselves for far too long - both of them too dutiful and disciplined for their own good. 

And the Earl of Edrington... he felt as though someone had bestowed on him all the light and love in the universe. The pure happiness in Archie's face, which he was certain he had never seen before... Horatio's intense pleasure at every moment in his house, and at having his captain near morning to night... and Captain Pellew looked as though all the weight of command had been lifted off his shoulders and kept behind on his ship. 

"We ought to play something," Horatio suggested over port, surprising everyone with the gleam in his eyes. 

"Play?" the earl asked teasingly. "Whatever did you have in mind, Horatio?" Indeed, the already pleasant evening yet had a chance of improving on itself. 

"What games do the nobility play, my Lord?" Horatio asked, purposefully using the formal address. He smiled so deviously that even Percy blushed. 

"I believe much the same games that most people play. Hide and seek perhaps? Or charades?" With a glint in his eye, he suggested, "What about sardines?"

"Oh no, not that," Archie said. "We spend quite enough time in small, restrictive places at sea."

"Quite right, Archie," Captain Pellew agreed, for more reasons than just that. He tugged at his cravat at the thought of being squeezed into a closet or behind a curtain with Horatio.

Horatio laughed. "Are there no other parlour games?" 

"There are few for a crowd as small as this," the Earl admitted, thinking. "How about blind man's buff? An excellent way for us to become more familiar with one another," he suggested. 

"What a wonderful idea." Horatio beamed, further delighted by the gentle blush on his captain's cheeks and Archie's glowing eyes, once the earl had finished describing how they should apply the rules of the game to their small group.

Archie – to everyone's surprise - offered to begin. 

"What might we use for a blindfold..." the earl wondered, looking around the room, until his eyes fell on Horatio right next to him, and his cravat done up neat and tidy for the dinner table. "May I?" he asked, proceeding to undo it with unnecessary slowness. It gave him a wonderful opportunity to gaze into those incomparable eyes.

Horatio smiled at him, allowing the slow caress, for it was that as much as it was the removal of the strict tie.

"Sir Edward, perhaps you would remove your cravat as well, or you may be too easily found out," the earl told his only other _properly_ dressed dinner companion. "And your tailcoat?"

"Certainly." The captain obliged, removing his cravat and coat and placing them on an occasional table. Then he sat down on a chair at approximately equal distance to the others and, along with Horatio, watched as the earl tied the fabric around Archie's eyes, letting his fingers play in his hair as he did so, then pulled him to his feet.

Archie laughed softly when he was being spun around until he lost any sense of orientation in the room. The earl stopped him and moved backwards, leaving him to find his own way. "We must all be seated," he instructed, "so that we do not give ourselves away by our height. And all touches _should_ be limited to the face, neck and shoulders." Everyone chuckled when he added, somewhat reluctantly, "I suppose."

Archie, with his arms outstretched, staggered across the room. "There ought to be _someone_ within reach," he complained. "Ah!" he declared triumphantly, when his legs bumped into someone's knee. "Now, who are you?" he asked, knowing he would not have an answer so easily. He leaned forward and sought for a face, then finally touched his hands to the man's chin, which was clean-shaven - not something to give away the riddle. He moved his fingers further up until the tips touched the relaxed shape of a mouth with a pronounced Cupid's Bow, a substantial nose – here he ruled out the earl, and then the corners of a pair of eyes. Eyes of a rich, deep brown no doubt... Again, nothing to give away an identity. He felt smile lines under his fingertips, and began to suspect.

"I don't suppose I may touch this person's hair?" he asked rhetorically, not surprised that his hands were stilled against the cheeks they touched. "I did not think so." He smiled. It would have been too easy. He wondered about the hands on his - strong, warm fingers moving down to his wrists and remaining there. Archie was fairly sure then. He moved very close to the figure in front of him and breathed in his scent. It wasn't Percy. Horatio, perhaps? No, Horatio always smelled as if he had just come from a swim in the ocean - slightly salty, fresh and as though he was draped in precious underwater plants, like a mermaid. Archie giggled, making his judgment that the scent of fine wine, a subtle eau de cologne and musk could only belong to one other. "Sir Edward?" he asked and found his blindfold removed gently. 

"Well done, Archie." The captain smiled warmly at him. 

"Your turn, Sir Edward!" the earl exclaimed, draping himself over the chaise-longue and watching as Archie affixed the cloth around the Captain's eyes. 

"Can you see, sir?" Archie enquired, waving his hand around in front of his unflinching captain's face. 

"Not at all," Pellew reassured and let himself be spun around a few times. Whilst he heard Archie's retreating steps, he moved forward cautiously, finding it easier in his slight dizziness than to change direction. It was not long before he bumped into an obstacle, and his hands came to rest on a pair of knees. He apologised and reached further up, to a shoulder. They were all dressed casually in shirts, so he could not judge by the clothing. None of them were wearing neckties now, so the wide collar did not give away its owner. 

He moved his hands over the other's shoulders once more – broad and straight. And when his own heart began to race as his fingertips touched the bare flesh at the juncture of shoulders and neck, he knew exactly who it was, but found himself quite unwilling to admit to it just yet. Instead, he went down on one knee and leaned closer. "May I touch your face?" he asked, his voice husky.

He received no verbal response, except for a soft gasp as he knelt before the other, but his hands were lifted to smooth skin he knew to be flawless, his fingers were covered with hands he knew to be long and slender, his thumbs moved lightly over cheekbones he knew to be high beneath beautiful dark eyes, his fingertips touched the lobes of ears he knew to be framed by soft dark curls. He felt his own breathing quicken, and found to his astonishment that the figure in front of him reacted in much the same way to his touch. He really had to say the name now. It was simply not right to go on like this. 

There was only one more guilty pleasure he would allow himself, even if it was against the rules of the game. His fingers escaped the tender grip of those hands and slid into the expected lush, thick curls, making their owner draw a shuddering breath. "Horatio," he said, barely in control of his voice. 

"You cheated, sir," came the equally unsteady response, and the youthful hands moved to unfasten the cravat around his eyes, opening his unsuspecting gaze to the infinite tenderness in the liquid, dark pools, so close to him, because his hands were still in Horatio's hair. They were scant inches away from a kiss. 

He was about to apologise - whether for the cheating or the desire welling up inside him, he did not know - when the earl, sensing the tension and taking great delight in it, rose from his reclining position and moved towards them. "A drink, gentlemen?" 

They both nodded, far too eagerly, and rose, but his Lordship kept his face unreadable until he had his back turned to them and was moving towards the silver tray by the fireplace. It held the rum he stocked especially for his seafaring companions. On the way, his eyes met Archie's, and they exchanged an amused smile. "A rum for you as well, my dear?" Percy asked, when Archie moved towards him. 

"Yes, please." 

He passed him a crystal glass, his fingers lightly caressing Archie's, before he went to rescue his other two visitors, standing flushed and embarrassed in the centre of the room. 'Poor fools,' he thought, determined that something had to be done before his guests were off to sea again, and more tense than ever. 

"Would you care to continue, Horatio?" the earl asked, once they had all refreshed themselves.

"Yes, certainly." Horatio cleared his throat delicately, avoiding the captain's eyes. If he should find himself in front of him this way, he was not certain he could ever stop touching him. And what would he think of him then? How perfectly dreadful! To cover his embarrassment, he passed the cravat to his captain and turned his back to him swiftly.

Captain Pellew fastened the blindfold around Horatio's eyes, this time taking great care not to let his fingers linger unduly long in the dark silkiness. Then he grasped his shoulders and spun him around gently before moving away to a safe distance. 

Horatio felt just the faintest semblance of seasickness, even as he moved about the room on very steady ground, chiding himself for his silliness. "I do feel quite disoriented," he admitted and, as if to prove it, he bumped into something and fell forward helplessly against a warm, firm body, which appeared to be lying down. He heard soft laughter sounding like Archie's, but he was not certain how far away it originated.

Horatio wondered how it was possible that he had wound up in this position. He doubted that he and his unsuspecting victim were on the floor, but he knew they were in a horizontal position. Damn this dizziness!

"I apologise to whoever you are," he stated with a chuckle, attempting to clamber to his feet. But he was held firmly in place by tender, yet strong, hands. "Am I to remain here in this way?" he asked hesitantly. Again, he heard someone laughing - sweetly, not maliciously. "Well then," he gave in, smiling. "I shall perform my investigation in this position."

And he proceeded to do so, discarding any notion that he found himself in the captain's arms, as he was simply too familiar with every contour of his body - not by touch, unfortunately, but by way of his long, studying glances.

Lying down as they were, he could not know whether the other man was his own height or smaller, so he went in search of other clues. The firm chest heaving below his own, a rapid - a very rapid - heartbeat, and a scent of roses and oranges. He drew his eyebrows up a little, having noticed a very similar scent on both Percy and Archie earlier. He smiled, deciding to ask Archie shortly what that was all about.

Meanwhile, he moved his hands to the sides of the other's face, finding smooth, full cheeks which, again, did not give him any hint as to whether this was Archie or Percy. One thing he was becoming more and more aware of, however, was his own body taking great delight in his current position. He would have to make his guess soon, lest he embarrass himself in front of his companions. But how could he be held responsible, when the body beneath him was so firm, with skin so warm through the silky clothing, and ever so delightfully shaped with the gentle swell of fine muscles and, most of all - a heartbeat which seemed to be so in tune with his own that he could barely tell them apart, and... oh dear... 

'I must distract myself,' Horatio thought, frantically attempting to ignore the hardness pressed against his thigh, confirming that he was as much the cause of his gaming partner's shallow breathing as the other was of his own.

In his inexperience, he thought it sensible to distract himself by tracing the features of the face below his own - the small chin, a fine nose, delicately shaped eyebrows... ah, the lips. Surely they would tell him! Fighting to lie as still as he could to avoid any friction between their bodies, Horatio moved his index finger boldly around a set of thin, yet lush lips, shaping into a heart...

"Percy," he gasped. He didn't mean to gasp, of course, but to speak steadily, yet he was taken by surprise by the earl's sharp inhalation as he touched his lips.

"Well done, Horatio," came Archie's voice from his right.

'Very well done, indeed!' the young earl thought, for the second time that day aroused well beyond what any mere mortal should have to endure. He moaned softly, conscious that he probably ought to disengage himself from the tall, overwhelming beauty draped across his poor needy physique.

He felt himself tested like he never had in his military career. What a superior foe he had to face here in his own home. Frogs, dons and the whole world he would take on with fervour and determination, and with at least a decent chance, but what had he done? He had _invited_ these sirens, who could strip his defences down to nothingness, break his will, force his surrender and defeat him with no more of a fighting chance than a mouse would have in the claws of a cat. And all that with nothing more than a tender glance, a casual touch, or by simply being near. What a miserable tactician he was!

"Your Lordship?" Dervisham called out from the door, once he had given up vying for his master's attention by clearing his throat repeatedly.

'Oh, bless you, good man!' the earl thought, smiling at Dervisham's visible discomfiture at the still entangled bundle on the chaise-longue, which was his Lordship and young Mister Hornblower. "Yes, Dervisham, what is it?" the earl requested, hoping that whatever had come up would give him an excuse to leave the room. He really did need to be alone. Desperately.

"My Lord, I do apologise for the intrusion, but there has been a little... ahem, accident." 

"An accident?" the earl asked, finally having managed to slip out from beneath Horatio, who seemed equally flushed and uncomfortable as he himself was.

Archie and the captain stood by the drinks tray, barely suppressing smiles. Whether they were smiles of glee at their discomfort, or pleasure at the performance, the earl could not tell. He did his best to regain his composure, which required that he should avoid looking at Horatio's blazing eyes and parted lips at all costs.

"Speak up, man!" he instructed Dervisham a little impatiently. "What kind of accident?" 

Dervisham looked most apologetic. "My Lord, the new maid - Rosalie... I fear she has broken one of the Byzantine ornaments in the Morning Room." 

Sighing with relief that it was nothing serious, Percy said, "Very well, Dervisham. I will see if it can be mended." He was going to say 'tomorrow', but thought he should take the opportunity to recover from his encounter with Horatio. So he stood, picking up one of the cushions from the chaise-longue and mumbling something about it belonging into the Morning Room, before he went to join Dervisham by the door, holding the cushion strategically in front of himself. 

Archie suppressed his giggling fit, unsure what was more amusing - Percy's hasty retreat with the cushion or Horatio's dazed expression and wide-open mouth. 

Dervisham was unaware of either, clearly pre-occupied with more important matters. "My Lord, do you wish for me to arrange for Rosalie's references? She has done her duties well until this day."

Percy raised his eyebrows. "References? What are you on about, Dervisham?"

"But, sir!" The butler was confused. "Surely you wish to let her go? The ornament - it was your father's favourite, I fear - is priceless!"

Percy, finally in some degree of control over his body, casually hugged the cushion to his stomach. "Good God, man! I am not going to put the girl out on the streets for a little clumsiness."

Dervisham nodded. "As you wish, sir. How is she to be punished then?"

"Tell her to be more careful in future. And now, lets take a look at the damage." He turned to his guests, avoiding Horatio's eyes. "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen..."

Captain Pellew nodded. "It is rather late. I think I will retire for the night." 

Archie and Horatio bid their good night wishes as well, and Percy went to attend to his domestic matters, while his guests repaired upstairs.

~ ~ ~

When the thick mist lifted from the water, he saw him. He was only a faint outline, but he was walking towards him - his feet barely touching the turquoise water, and his soft steps swallowed by the gentle gurgling of the moving water. It seemed entirely possible that he should walk on water. Why not?

Percy lay back, the grass surrounding him in an earthy embrace, arms of moss and daisies enfolding him securely as the vision moved towards him, treading as softly as a spectre. He felt his presence more than he could actually see or hear him.

"Horatio," he whispered, reaching out his hand, wanting to touch what he could only sense.

"Yes, Percy." The unearthly shape came closer, lowered itself down on him, covering him, making him gasp with utter delight. He was fairly certain his breathing might cease altogether at any point, but he did not care.

And then, there was another. Percy felt the sensations double in strength. Of course, when he opened his eyes, he saw only more light - soft golden light this time, while Horatio's was a clear white. He smiled. "And you, Archie..."

There was a soft hum, and a whisper near his ear sounding like, "Yes, my love," and Percy closed his eyes when he felt himself fully enveloped by the two orbs of light, pleasuring his body, rocking him with such ecstasy that he thought he would die from it. His arms sought to grasp and hold them close, but while they found no solid bodies, they - like the rest of him - were surrounded by the warm, sunny apparitions.

They pleasured him until he thought he would surely go mad, the rays of light which were their fingers touching and exploring every part of him, reaching right into his soul. Little incandescent flashes were like kisses on his skin. And the slow, languorous movements of the light orbs sounded like soft moans, filling his ears, until the longing and need which surrounded him tore a deep, guttural groan of ecstasy from his throat. 

And he woke up, sitting ramrod straight in his bed, his spilled seed making his night shirt clammy between his legs, and his long curls in total disarray as he fell back on the sweat-soaked pillow. "God, how I love you both," he sighed into the dark room, with only the moon peering in through half-drawn curtains to hear him.

  



	6. The Riding Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... in which Horatio learns to love a good, hard ride.

You did know  
How much you were my conqueror, and that  
My sword, made weak by my affection, would  
Obey it on all cause.  
  
~ William Shakespeare ~  
  
~ ~ ~

"Oh dear. Percy, I really would rather not." Horatio fidgeted uncomfortably, memories of his last time still fresh in his mind. This really was no sport for him. 

But the earl would have none of it. "Are you going to tell me that you are afraid of these perfectly harmless animals, Horatio? You of all men? Come now, I had thought you more adventurous." He smiled at his guest's discomfiture. 

Indignantly, Horatio replied. "That is not the point!" It was, of course, exactly the point. Maybe he would not have called it fear as such, but horses made him decidedly nervous, not to mention the pure awkwardness he felt riding one of the nasty beasts. It did not help matters that Percy was such a particularly excellent horseman, who reminded him distinctly of a fine sculpture his father owned - it depicted Alexander the Great, elegantly perched on a strong Arab stallion.

"Good. Then there is no reason for you not to try your luck again." Percy smiled at Horatio's far-away expression and indicated a deep black horse in the back of the stable. "That divine animal over there is De Sade. He is a perfect lamb." 

Horatio sighed, attempting to distract himself with humour. "I thought I was meant to ride a horse."

"In due course, Horatio, you are." The earl smiled at Horatio's confusion, retrieving a riding crop from a nail on the wall. He had, naturally, anticipated some reluctance to his early morning suggestion of a riding lesson, remembering Horatio's _skill_ in this area from Muzillac with some degree of amusement. But luckily, he had eventually managed to talk him into giving it another try.

Which was how they now found themselves in his stables, Horatio sharing out his looks of distrust equally between poor De Sade and himself. Smiling, the earl moving close to him.

"Believe me, my dear, there is nothing in the world like riding a beautiful young stallion." The earl's eyes locked with Horatio's, and his voice softened. "With particularly inexperienced animals, you can feel them shiver and buck nervously beneath you, but a gentle touch combined with the right degree of, shall we say... domination, puts them at ease quite quickly."

Horatio's throat moved as he gulped. Coming even closer, Edrington raised the riding crop to touch it to the outside of Horatio's right leg, slowly moving it up towards his hip. His voice lowered and took on a full, dark quality when he continued, "The true pleasure is to feel the strength of his muscles, the grace in his step..." He watched with satisfaction as Horatio's eyes closed, and he began to sway a little. Oh yes, he would be an excellent student. 

Moving the crop around the front of a sinewy thigh, and in between Horatio's legs, he continued, "The pounding of his pulse beneath the smooth flesh... his excitement..." 

"My Lord..." Horatio gasped, forgetting the earl's name for an instant. His eyes flew open. He watched a slow, lazy smile form around the earl's lips. His next words were suffocated in his throat by the shudder which shook his body suddenly. The earl had moved the riding crop upwards and let it press gently against Horatio's steadily hardening manhood. He gasped, holding onto a wooden beam. 

The earl continued his lesson as if unaware of its effect. Only the huskiness in his voice betrayed him. "Of course, it is important that the rider should know what he is doing. Especially if the horse is skittish. A great deal of care and tenderness is required in such a case to make the ride a satisfying experience." 

He leaned in until his breath tickled the curls by the young officer's ear. "And believe me, my dear Horatio," he whispered, his lips close enough to kiss the soft lobe, yet he refrained from doing so, "there is nothing more satisfying than the moment of complete control over your stallion. His total... surrender." He let the riding crop fall from his fingers and pulled Horatio into his arms. 

Horatio had no intention of resisting, and all the strength of his muscles deserted him at once, as the Earl of Edrington claimed his mouth. There was no trace of the cool detachment which had set the young nobleman apart, and caused Archie and himself to mock him, before Muzillac. This was a man who gave in to passion, who gave and took whole-heartedly. And, yielding to the heavenly heat and pressure of this new sensation - Horatio had not known a kiss could be like this - the young officer returned it to the best of his abilities. He mimicked the movements of the earl's tongue against his own, held on tight with his hands twisted into the shirt at the earl's back, and did not withdraw when he felt the hot swell of his host's arousal press against his own. 

Reluctantly, the earl withdrew to catch his breath. "Will you surrender to me, Horatio?" 

Nodding, as his voice failed him utterly, Horatio steadied himself by shifting his grip to the earl's shoulders. 

"Good. Now we will go for our ride." The earl smiled at the expression on Horatio's face and turned away, causing the shaky hands to fall down again. He went to prepare De Sade', taking the opportunity to get his own breathing and heartbeat back under control, and was soon leading the stallion from his box. "Are you coming, Horatio?" he asked, pretending to ignore the lost look in Horatio's eyes. 

"But Percy, I thought... I..." 

Smiling, the earl stroked Horatio's cheek, delighting in the way the young man pressed back against his palm. "Oh dear, did you think you were going to receive an entire riding lesson inside a stable?" 

Horatio opened his mouth, let it snap shut again, and then, he broke into a smile. "No, of course not." 

"Good. Let us ride then." And, with that, the earl helped the astonished lieutenant to mount De Sade, by instructing him where to clutch the mane and where on the horse's back to place his right hand, before giving him a leg over. "Up you go, my dear. This time, we will ride together, and I will teach you how to do it right. You don't mind riding bareback, do you? It's the most natural way to learn and feel more connected to your horse." 

Horatio attempted to gain control over his shaking body to avoid being thrown off. Though how he would do so, he did not know, as he felt less in control of the beast than with a saddle. In addition to which, he was terribly aroused, and his mind was clouded, but he did as he was told, clinging onto the reins for dear life. A moment later, his host mounted behind him with an elegant jump, his arms immediately snaking around him to take the reins and lead the horse out of the stables. 

They rode slowly down the drive, then veered off into a copse of trees, and the earl moved forward, closing the minuscule gap between them and pressing against Horatio's back. 

Gasping, Horatio realised his riding instructor was as hard as he was, and he meant for him to feel it. 

"Start slowly, Horatio. Like this," the earl whispered into his ear, nudging De Sade softly in the flanks for a slow walk. "You must give him time to get used to you, familiarise himself with your scent, your body temperature, your weight and the way your leg muscles move as you ride." 

Horatio had the reins returned to him and held onto them like a lifeline, while the earl demonstrated. 

"It is important for your posture when riding to make certain you are supported by the strength of your own legs. Your muscles must be relaxed, like this..." The earl's hands moved from Horatio's sides to his thighs, running down the outside and back up to come to rest on top of them. "No, do not let your muscles bunch. They must stay flexible and pliant, or you will make your horse nervous." 

"Percy, I simply refuse to believe that any horse could be as nervous as I am right now," Horatio admitted, the trembling in his voice proving the truth in his words. 

Laughing softly, the earl continued stroking Horatio's thighs. "We will have to work on that, my dear, or you will be thrown off. Now, let me see, what can we do to relax you?" 

"I have a suggestion," Horatio said softly, only to be cut off by a chuckle against the side of his neck. He felt lips nipping at his skin, pushing aside his collar to gain access to the juncture of his neck and shoulder. 

"Do you now?" the earl murmured. "So soon into your lesson, and you presume to tell your teacher how to do his teaching? However does your captain put up with your insolence?" 

The very mention of Sir Edward further increased Horatio's arousal, and he played along, doing his best to suppress moans of pleasure at the tender contact. "I would never presume such a thing, my Lord. In fact, I am certain you know just what to do with a nervous horse, or... a nervous student." 

"You mock me, sir. Maybe I ought to take you through the lesson a little faster. You may already possess some knowledge of benefit to you - to both of us." He nudged the horse again, this time with more force as he moved forward, pressing himself harder still against Horatio.

"Oh..." Horatio gasped, holding the reins tighter as De Sade broke into a trot.

"Relax, Horatio. You are quite safe," the gentle voice instructed him. "I am right here. You merely need to hold on tight, I will do the rest." And so he did, his left arm closing around Horatio's middle. while his right hand joined Horatio's on the reins as they rode along the narrow path through the trees.

What had looked like a copse was, in fact, a small forest, Horatio realised, and he had a sudden disconcerting mental image of being knocked off his horse by a low-hanging branch. "Oh god," he moaned, convinced that, any moment now, they would both be thrown off and, worse still, found by someone lying in each other's arms, every bone in their bodies broken. 

As if he had read his mind, the earl reassured him, "This forest is part of my property, Horatio. I know it like the back of my hand. We are all alone. Does that frighten you, my dear?"

"No, Percy." Horatio forced himself to be calm and not risk scaring the horse as they trotted along the path. 

"Good." Another shifting of the earl's muscles, and the trot became a canter, and Horatio had to close his eyes in panic for a moment. "Your Edward would be proud of your courage."

And, just like that, Horatio relaxed, and the ride was suddenly no longer frightening at all, the fearful pounding of his pulse in his own ears turning into one of excitement and elation. He breathed rapidly, now able to enjoy the wind in his face, the tugging on his hair, the scent of pine, fir and oak in his nose as they rode through the forest. 

"Yes, Horatio. Feel it. Feel his muscles under you. Feel his strength." The earl felt the young man relax and sensed his transition from fear into excitement.

Horatio let his muscles slack a little, taking the tension out of his back. He felt the earl so close behind, their upper bodies hard against each other, the long arm draped around him, the hand with its palm flat against his ribcage, warm puffs of breath against the bared skin of his neck, the insistent hardness against his backside while his own was pushed against the horse's back every time De Sade's front hooves hit the earthy path. 

The earl felt Horatio's temperature rise against him despite the cooling wind. He closed his eyes briefly, breathing in the fresh scent of Horatio's hair, concentrating on the feel of the firm cheeks nudging back against him persistently, making him harder and harder until he felt the urge to scream out loud. 

"Percy," Horatio called out, gasping desperately for air. "Please!" He could not stand the friction anymore. He needed contact, touch, strokes, kisses... anything.

The earl managed to slow down De Sade, finally stopping him at the edge of a clearing. "End of lesson, Horatio," he said raspily, dismounting and reaching up to catch Horatio in his arms, as he all but fell off the horse's back. 

Their lips met hungrily, the earl's hands tearing at Horatio's shirt and breeches until he revealed skin, which he devoured hungrily with his lips and tongue, even as he aided Horatio's trembling hands in removing his own clothes and undoing his own breeches.

Horatio fell, realising at once the earl had tripped him up. He laughed softly, but was silenced by a hot mouth closing over his before blazing down his neck to close around his hardened nipples, one at a time. The mouth moved on, nipping at his skin rapidly and insistently, until it found its way to his hips. 

"Forgive me!" the earl exclaimed, his voice a low rumble. 

Horatio gasped when his breeches were tugged over his hips entirely and pushed down his thighs to bunch around his knees. The warm summer breeze on his bare skin was replaced by the earl's hot breath, as he dove down on him to nuzzle his flesh, parting his thighs with his hands to get access to the soft skin in between. "I forgive you," Horatio gasped, unable to fathom what he was offering forgiveness for and not caring. God, this felt so good.

"You ought to be savoured, my love, my beautiful temptation, not attacked by a wild animal." The earl kissed his thighs, and licked at the juncture of his hips, nuzzled his dark curls and licked the base of his cock until it stood like a column, waiting to be touched and admired. 

Horatio's head fell back into the soft foliage, and he bit his lips. "I don't care," he gasped harshly, bucking his hips to draw the earl's attention to his desperate need. 

"Then neither do I." And to prove it, Percy sucked him hard into his mouth, drawing him in as far as he could bear. 

Horatio whimpered helplessly. He had never, ever thought such pleasure possible, not in his wildest dreams. He felt every flick of the earl's tongue throughout his entire body, in every muscle, in every nerve, tingling up and down his spine. The hot mouth on him was relentless, ravenous in its greed. "I cannot... oh!" he gasped, fighting to hold back, unfamiliar with what was happening, but not wanting it to end. He wanted the sensations to last.

With the first taste of Horatio's essence, the earl's hunger knew no bounds. He needed more. He sucked harder, drawing out every drop he could extract, knowing that, any moment now, he would be offered a feast. A feast of Horatio. Rubbing himself desperately against the warm earth beneath, then shifting to slide one knee higher between Horatio's parted legs and his hardness against Horatio's calf – so much better - he felt the trembling of the young body in his arms, felt him fight for control and lose the battle before it had even begun.

He replaced his mouth on the head of Horatio's cock with his fingers, coating them in Horatio's fluids, then nudged the sticky fingers against Horatio's hole, working his way in slowly, while imitating the motion with his clothed arousal against the firm, trembling leg. It was almost, almost like driving into him. "Oh Horatio, _do_ give in," he coaxed huskily, and returned to work his mouth down the twitching cock as he continued to thrust.

Horatio cried out, the strange fullness and slight pain a minor thing compared to the images which came to him. Images of being taken by more than a couple of fingers, of having a hard cock inside him, of feeling a strong, warm body all along his back. And, with a shout which echoed through the clearing, Horatio at last surrendered, pouring himself down the earl's throat, swallowing convulsively, his vision nearly blacking out.

~ ~ ~

"You are truly miraculous, my dear Horatio." The earl drew the boy into his arms and kissed his forehead tenderly. 

Horatio burrowed against him, letting the tenderness wash over him the way he had only moments ago allowed his desire to very nearly drown him in its wake. What an astonishing man the earl was - all that calm detachment, so completely stripped away by lust. 

They lay on a bed of leaves, their senses sharpened to every nuance of nature - the mixed aromas of the trees mingling with the grass from the clearing, the slightly salty taste in the breeze from the nearby ocean... or was it Horatio's taste on their tongues, shared in tender kisses after their completion? The song of the crows in the tall tree above them, sinister and yet so dreamlike. that they half expected a group of elves to come out and play. 

"I have never felt so calm." Horatio sighed softly, his head on the earl's chest. He glanced up at him without moving. "Do you know why, Percy?"

Edrington swallowed. He knew why he wanted it to be, but he could not allow himself to mistake Horatio's trust and affection for love. So he said lightly, "I believe it is on account of your relaxing holiday, my dear. Oh, and of course you have finally mastered the art of riding." 

Mischievously, Horatio raised himself on one elbow. "Have I, my Lord? I believe I may need further lessons. After all, I have not yet learned to mount a horse with your grace and finesse." He leaned in to whisper into a finely shaped ear, "Nor to be mounted."

Groaning, the Earl of Edrington pulled him down for a deep kiss, before telling him huskily, "And believe me when I tell you, dear Horatio, that I would gladly be the one to bestow that lesson on you also. Alas..." 

"Alas?" Horatio was surprised and a little disappointed. Was this encounter to be all they would have? 

Sensing the sadness of his young lover, the earl quickly explained, "Horatio, I want to make love to you many, many more times, if you will let me. But that very special gift you should save for the man you love most dearly." Smiling at the blush on the boy's face, he added, "He will be grateful forever." 

"You know how terribly I love him then?" 

"Certainly I do. Your eyes shine when you look at him. You tremble when he stands close to you, as if you can barely refrain from touching him. And when he speaks to you, your lips part as if to receive his kiss. Do not look so worried, my dear." He stroked the frown from Horatio's forehead. "He feels the same." Kissing him softly, he murmured, "How could he... how could _anyone_ not? But he is afraid to be rejected, and does not want you to feel he seeks to take advantage of his rank, even if he believes he may have seen his own reactions on your face." 

"What should I do?" Horatio asked, his eyes pleading for help.

"Be as you always are with him, but do not be afraid to show your emotions fully. Give him all the encouragement you wish, and he will not feel he is taking advantage. But, for now, you should refrain from looking at me like that, my darling." The earl laughed softly. "I may decide to keep you all to myself instead." 

Smiling, Horatio nuzzled against his neck. "I will always be your friend and lover, Percy. No matter what else may happen." 

"Do you mean that?" Edrington's eyes filled with tears. Could it be?

In lieu of a reply, Horatio moved to kiss him, his fingers tracing the golden waves of the earl's hair while his lips caressed the heart-shaped mouth, the full cheeks, the small, determined chin. Then he looked up into eyes as dark as his own - impossibly dark almost for a man as pale as a marble statue, yet a statue full of warmth, with a golden crown. He laughed softly at the silly description his mind conjured up.

"You are laughing at me?" the earl chided, knowing from the tenderness in Horatio's lovely eyes that he was not. 

"I would never. I was merely thinking..." Horatio traced the wide forehead and the adjoining softness of the finely-spun gold. "How like a living, breathing statue you are." 

"Cold as a statue?" the earl asked, a little concerned, but he was instantly reassured. 

"No, lovely as a statue. Warm as..." Horatio pondered an apt description, finally deciding on using Percy's own analogy. "... as a wild young stallion." 

Edrington rolled on top of Horatio, intertwining their fingers and pinning Horatio down while dropping tender kisses all over his face and neck, delighting in the soft sighs he was coaxing from his willing lover. "Do you know how precious you are, my dear?" he whispered, frantic to bestow as much affection as he could. 

Horatio closed his eyes against the loving assault. "If I am so precious, my Lord, you may help yourself to my riches any time you wish it," he offered, raising his face to meet his lover's mouth in a long, passionate kiss.

  


**Author's Note:**

> © and ™ of characters, locations, and some story lines - the estate of C. S. Forester, A & E and possibly other entities; this story was written solely for the entertainment of other fans; no profit is made and no harm or infringement intended.


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